Neha

The problem with being a perennial cribber is that the moment you take a break to catch a breath, the world turns tables to embarrass you, to tell you that you slacked.

I am on a fellowship with the World Press Institute in the United States with nine more journalists from different parts of the world. It’s no less like a reality show since one travels to 16 cities in 5 weeks. On one such trip, on our way back to the Twin cities from Ely I got a call from back home, “Did you hear about Todd Akin’s remarks on women? I was surprised you didn’t even discuss it with me.”

I have wanted to write on the abortion debate forever. And like the million other things I want to write on but keep procrastinating and simultaneously fussing, bugging my friends and mother with my customary question, “but why I am not doing anything?” I had put this too on the back burner. I am a master at making excuses to myself-why not take a few days to soak in the mood about the issue before writing or my body clock is still getting used to the American time, let me take some rest or when will I get a chance to observe the rabbits in the burrow right outside my apartment, should I be wasting my time on the laptop?

Anyway, I neither knew who Todd Akin is or his recently expressed nostalgia for ...